THE FORTY THIEVES 235

‘Not yet, but presently.” She went in this
manner to all the jars, giving the same answer,
till she came to the jar of oil.

By this means Morgiana found that her master,
. Ali Baba, who thought that he had entertained an
oil-merchant, had admitted thirty-eight robbers
into his house, regarding this pretended merchant
as their captain. She made what haste she could
to fill her oil-pot, and returned into her kitchen;
where, as soon as she had lighted her lamp, she
took a great kettle, went again to the oil-jar,
filled the kettle, set it on a large wood-fire, and
as soon as it boiled went and poured enough
into every jar to stifle and destroy the robber
within.

When this action, worthy of the courage of
Morgiana, was executed without any noise, as she
had projected, she returned into the kitchen with
the empty kettle ; and having put out the great
fire she had made to boil the oil, and leaving
just enough to make the broth, put out the lamp
also, and remained silent; resolving not to go to
rest till she had observed what might follow,
through a window of the kitchen, which opened
into the yard.

She had not waited long before the captain
of the robbers got up, opened the window, and